Chapter 118: Ch3
After all, if you knew the position of every single molecule and atom in the universe than you could in theory predict what happened next. It was a twenty page essay accompanied by accurate and detailed maps of the galaxy all the way to the point that I'd detailed the composition of each planet and the possible influences they might have to moods.
It all went off the fact that the moon created tidal forces and affected weather, no matter how slight, the position of other such forces could in theory affect earth regardless of distance. After all we could see stars and that meant light and radiation made it to earth from such long distances.
What effected the weather effected the moods and even the brain chemistry of those residing in an environment. Such conditions could very well explain the reactions of the masses and moods as much as any other subtle factors.
It was an interesting concept especially in a world with magic that actually had a physical reaction on the world enough to produce plants and creatures with magic properties. By the time class ended I handed in my stack of papers and maps of the solar system and galaxy.
The teacher, professor Aurora Sinistra, was both surprised and shocked at such detailed and well written explanations along with the clearly and drawn maps. She was even more shocked that it was a child giving her such information. She'd barely been teaching the names of the constellations and what they meant for magicals to the first years and yet here was one who'd if the papers were correct, knew more about the universe as a whole than even herself!
Her excitement was only equaled by her shock as she read on. I left her there as she read my papers with trembling hands. I'd traveled the stars long before wizards here understood how to wield a wand so I knew my stuff and was confident in my work.
During the night I wrote dissertations on the potions in the school books and how each change could strengthen the outcome. I wrote and even made my own potions to equal and surpass the current marketed potions.
Instead of handing it in to the teacher though, I had Fiona take the books of modified and improved potions including the new potions using better techniques to my father who would have it published under a pseudonym. The proceeds would help fill our family vault as it was looking kind of bare after the last war.
While we were well off still, the last war had weakened our family's funds enough that if we weren't careful our family could end up owing debts we couldn't have paid back before I'd become the Lestrange heir. My presence was the deciding factor it seems and without it I could definitely see my father being forced to promise one of my sisters to the Malfoy heir to keep our family out of debt.
The last two generation of Malfoy's were cunning bastards after all and they'd used the war to their advantage. Unfortunately for the current head of the Malfoy family, he'd thrown his lot in with his master and made certain promises that he'd be forced to keep if and when said master returned.
I won't shed a tear for the slimy bastard when it happens either. He'd been the reason my father had to pay such a high price to stay in good with the ministry. Lucius Malfoy had paid his way out of trouble along with a dozen death eaters before turning around and using those same bribes as blackmail to gain influence within the ministry.
As such he'd put pressure on those like my father using the ministry to receive tax cuts for himself while forcing my father to pay extra taxes and tariffs on the magical beast goods we sold from the ranches we owned. Even our dragon preservation in Romania was loosing us money with all the taxes we had to pay just to import the goods.
The ministry got paid the extra taxes while our fortune dwindled away and if it weren't for my newest inheritance, the Malfoy's would've had the chance to force us into a binding contract with them for lenient taxes. As it was now though my father and I had the clout to force him to back off or threaten the ministry with selling our goods to other more lenient markets which would effectively make the prices on things like dragon hide gloves skyrocket in the British isles.
It was one of the major issues my father was currently dealing with and why I'd left him a hundred thousand galleons to make sure we weren't sunken by Christmas. Malfoy would either back off or his wardrobe of acromantula silk and dragon hide would cost him a hell of a lot more from now on.
It was a dangerous business for either material and as such my family had cornered the market on both. If the ministry and Lucius continued now that we could pay the taxes long enough to change dealers and marketers then the market in London would crash.
The families on our side, the neutral faction of you will, were where most of the market for potion ingredients and all the basic necessities came from. As the leader of said faction, my family set the trend and as such if we left, the light and dark faction would destroy each other.
With that threat and reminder in full view, the ministry and Lucius were forced to back off and lower the taxes. They could find another target for fuck themselves into a corner. Four years of planning on Lucius's part were ruined before they could fully start.
After that particular meeting, my father received my book script to get published. It went under the pseudonym Old Ben. Like that the first day of school was a bust. I'd been relatively bored and now my reading list had increased a thousand fold which I didn't mind in the least.
At breakfast the next morning I sat at the Slytherin table to Charlie's surprise. He reluctantly joined me and when Nym did as well I told them. "It's time for your first lessons on traditions that matter. Ask any of the older Slytherin students a question but keep it quiet enough to not draw too much attention. It can be any question on why traditions are important or what traditions should be upheld and why. Make sure to ask the older ones close to graduating."
They'd reluctantly done so and found the answers while varying weren't what they thought it would be. The oldest Slytherin students remembered the lessons taught by their parents and grandparents before the war kicked into high gear.
Some were just blood purists but the majority were about the magic that was being lost and the reasons why our society were declining although none had a viable solution to the problems. I'd continued my reading while even the younger Slytherin students listened covertly.
Nym and Charlie both were rebuffed a few times of course, but it didn't stop them from asking what they wanted. That left many with a lot of questions and their own house would be abuzz inside their own dorms answering them as best they could.
The first class of today was transfiguration. One I wasn't too keen on paying attention to as I'd learned it all and the good professor was predictable if nothing else. Transfiguration was just temporary alchemy without a fixed cost.
Instead of paying a high price for a permanent change you paid a small price in magic for a temporary one. That's basically all it was in a nut shell for the first four years. Then came banishment charms and conjuration and after that temporary animate to inanimate and vice versa spells.
Once you realized you weren't actually bringing things to life or killing them but just changing the shape and giving things life like appearances and in some cases, reactions, it was as simple as saying the spells required and applying magic in a unique way.
I read a book through most of the class while writing notes for the class itself off what the good professor was saying. When we turned a matchstick into a needle, I hadn't even looked up for more than a moment to do the spell once before returning to my book.
When class ended I could see the professor's frustration and annoyance with me so I handed her a packet I'd prepared on the history of transfiguration and why it was a precursor to alchemy. She'd been surprised and had a lot of reading to do as it was detailed and fifty lengths of parchment long.
My next class was history of magic and I'd actually asked a few questions about the goblin wars but when I didn't receive an answer as Professor Binns was both deaf and dead, I wrote a letter to my father explaining the need for a new teacher as the one we had couldn't even hear questions to answer them let alone the fact that he was dead!
My father was on the school board committee and while Lucius led it with Amelia Bones and seven other ministry employees, his voice did stand out. My detailed complaint and explanation about the reasons behind needing a new history of magic teacher were just the tip of the iceberg.
For the next few days I read all I could about the history of magic even the not so important details in obscure books. I had my father buy what the school lacked as I wasn't quite ready to use the room of requirement yet.
I was too busy to pay much attention to what tables I was sitting at most of the time so I'd let Charlie and Nym pick them. We'd leap frogged all over the great hall while they are the provided food. I'd stuck to my own pre-made meals as I didn't trust the headmaster nor the potions master not to dose me 'for the greater good'.
On the bright side my work paid off as I wrote a revised and detailed history of magic book that made everything much clearer and less, well, boring. If the ghost of a teacher wasn't so damn monotone then it wouldn't be nearly as bad in that class to start with.
When I sent my revised book to my father to be published, he sent back that the school required additional funds to hire a new teacher as Binns had been working for free. I frowned and sent a letter to my banking investor and account manager Nagnok.
I told him to investigate where the school funds had been being appropriated because Professor Binns hadn't been paid in years, the quidditch supplies hadn't been updated since the early seventies and the school itself was in a state of disrepair. Damned if I didn't get an answer three days later saying Malfoy was behind it.
He'd been pocketing the money and bribing the school board majority to keep quite and keep the information hidden from the rest. As for what the school did receive, it was being given to the orphan scholarships that the school board and ministry refused to pay, curtesy of Dumbledore.
The rest of the teachers were paid a small stipend and lived in the castle and ate free as payment. Nagnok was furious and asked if he should pursue legal action to which I approved. Goblins held one thing above all as precious, children. To harm a child, even inadvertently was cause for an honor duel and they dueled to the death!
I sent him a missive to contact my father and our lawyer to arrange a meeting where the proof of Malfoy's deeds could be collected before legal action was taken. My last words were in Gobbledegook, the goblin language, saying to make our enemies bleed gold until they flounder in death.
Fiona delivered my message and I headed to class. My classes had become all about self study except for Herbology as it was more hands on. I only participated when it was time to do actual demonstrations of our learning. The rest of the time I spent reading as much and as fast as I possibly could.
I finished the Ravenclaw library the second week in and began spending my time in the actual library reading every book shelf by shelf in order. It didn't matter what topic or subject as I wished to know and understand what all the school had to offer. I'd finished a sixth of the library when I found something interesting.
I'd found reference of a source book that'd been made to have all the books in it that the library held. All you had to do to activate it was want to read a specific book or make a general request for the knowledge you seek. The book had a Legilimency like affect and could read you to know what you sought.
I'd had to lower my shields to use it but damned if it wasn't worth it when I found it. The librarian at the time of the restricted sections making had hidden it as the book showed all the knowledge in the library, whether it was restricted or not!
Fortunately for me I just checked that book out and called it a day. All the books in the library now were at my fingertips but that wasn't much as there were a lot of books that had been removed and banned by headmasters and teachers under their own and the ministry's insistence.
Fortunately books owned by the school couldn't be taken beyond the wards or permanently destroyed even by the headmaster so I knew where to find them when necessary. For now though I hid the source book in my inner realm, bypassing the wards as it was literally outside the wards control now without even a spell to stop it.
Then I packed my stuff as I prepared for Christmas break with my family. Nym and Charlie promised to write while I promised to keep in touch. Heck, I'd even gotten along with Charlie's third year brother, Bill Weasley as we'd talked curses and counter curses on several occasions while he'd eaten with us.
When we arrived back at the train station, my father picked me up as we headed to Diagonally to do business. We spent several hours dealing with the goblins and Mr.Tonks on what we'd plan to do. I offered a solution for the scholarship fund which was the only thing stopping us from filing a lawsuit against Lucius at the moment.
The new muggleborn students that needed the scholarship would most likely end up returning to the muggle world after school was over as there were precious few jobs they could receive in the wizarding one so I offered a solution that would benefit all parties involved.
The Greengrass family would fund the scholarship program if we were allowed to offer the students who were graduating for it first pick at jobs in the magical world working for us. They would receive decent pay along with room and board on our farms and reserves in exchange their labor.
We'd get the work force necessary to expand our businesses and up our output on more exotic and expensive materials. I made up a business plan for it and presented it to the goblins stating that they'd hire only curse breakers trained from our own workers and I'd personally be responsible for their effectiveness.
In a way I was creating a feeder program for the best and brightest. I didn't necessarily need to do it but in the end it would be interesting to say the least. My father took the initiative and contacted Dumbledore who was responsible for the current state of the illegal scholarship program.
That very fact and proof of it gave my father the leverage he needed to get Dumbledore's reluctant compliance. Starting the next school year I'd be donating three thousand galleons each year depending on student population size and influx of orphans and mugglborns that attended to the scholarship program they were hammering out the details for.
In exchange each graduating muggleborn had to be given a chance to meet with me and my father to be offered a job working for us. That's all it was, a simple job offer in exchange for the chance to learn magic years on end at Hogwarts for free with all expenses paid.
Each orphan and muggleborn family would receive a packet with their letter to the school to sign up for the scholarship program and all they had to promise was that they'd hear us out when they graduated.
I had my father find out how many and who the previous graduates had been that went back to the muggle world or were stuck in the magical one but jobless and offer them jobs on our farms. I gave him the money to expand our farms and buy more land all across the globe.
We spent a week visiting each land he bought where I'd transfer tons of dragon compost soil onto the land there and build houses inside my realm with mere thoughts before transferring them to the properties.
After I'd filled up each land with various rare herbs my father bought, we hired people to tend to the land. It was all shady and none of my own movements were seen by my father but he did have questions I ignored as each of our properties became fertile lands for ingredients and stables for various magical beasts as we went.
I kept dozens of baby beasts like manticores and unicorns in my inner realm thanks to my families ranches. One or two here and there weren't missed. The problem was while I knew what they required, I had no real experience taking care of magical beasts so I'd been forced to let them roam in my realm until I learned over the summer.
We made it home for the solstice then went to Diagonally to meet with dear old Burke. I'd changed my appearance back into the stern and dangerous looking man as my father acted his part and we met with Burke who'd acquired several rare books on alchemy and nearly a dozen on curses, hexes and rituals.
I didn't ask where he got them from and only paid him three thousand galleons as the alchemy books really were rare and worth it, not that he knew though, he thought I was more interested in the curses and rituals. "A pleasure doing business with you sir."
I turned and left without commenting on his words. Only saying. "I'll return over the summer."
When we finished there we shopped for presents in Diagonally. I bought Nym a muggle mood ring that I then enchanted to act like a sneak-o-scope. It would allow her to know when someone wasn't who they were pretending to be or if they were cloaked nearby.
As for Charlie, I got him a book about dragons and dragon handling along with an application to the reserve when he graduated. He'd been fascinated when I'd mentioned owning the reserve and he'd declared he'd work there with dragons one day.
I'd even gotten Bill a book on curses and their link to the past and how they've evolved over time. My sisters were much simpler as I'd gotten Astoria a kneazle and Daphne a horned serpent. It was a little blue snake that she'd absolutely adored.
It seemed fond of her as well so it really was a perfect match. As for my mother and father, I got them a unique gift I fully recommended, an appointment with a professional message parlor and an all expenses paid trip on a cruise liner around the world during the next summer.
My father can arrange for a time turner for me and with a decent enough head start on things all I needed to do was change into him and attend his meetings, something he'd been preparing me to do for years since he'd learned I wanted to be a Metamorphmagus.
I already knew the players, the board and every subtle thing to watch out for. We had our own spells that allowed us to communicate in real time if necessary as well. Besides, my parents weren't averse to seeing the muggle world, they'd really come along way since I'd insisted they put aside their pride and learn what the muggles had really been up to.
Both my parents were both confused and happy by the gifts until I told them what the details of each gift meant. Then they were excited to try it out. The massage appointment was for a few days from now and with myself and the house elves, both my sisters would be looked after.
During the summer they could come with me to the Scamander's place and study or play with some non-dangerous beasts. I'd already written a letter to Newt for permission during my own library studies.
My parents were thrilled I'd worked out the details but my father wasn't to happy about me using the time turner because while we didn't actually physically age, it took the lifeforce I'd otherwise live and use up as compensation.
I was fine with it as it would only be a few weeks at worst all together. My father went over the ministry innuendos and what cues to watch for while detailing the subjects we pushed on and the business we do and those we stay away from. All in all the most trying part was the patriarch ring he'd have to temporarily give to me as legally it would make me the head of the family.
He trusted me though and while I didn't have the dueling training to his likings, he'd never actually been able to touch me with a spell the few times we'd practiced. I just had to hope no one called me out for an honor duel. Even amongst wizards that was a duel where one risked it all. Life, limb and family heritage.
One could claim rights of conquest if push came to shove and while I wasn't fully trained with a wand, I'd have to show my real talent with wandless magic if it came down to it and crush my opponent before they got a chance to fight back.
I really didn't wish to be forced to use my soul swords as I really couldn't explain them if I did. After I was prepared as best he could think, he left to get his and mother's massages done. When they got home that evening they were both much more relaxed and I could tell they would be making more appointments themselves.
I spent the rest of the holiday break learning the businesses and all I needed to know about the preserves and farms to continue our path of expansion. When it was time, I said my goodbyes and joined the other kids on the train back to Hogwarts.
Charlie and Nym were both waiting for me in a compartment when I arrived. When I walked in, cue the purple and pink missile, I ended up on the floor in the passage way with a wild klutz sitting on me.
She apologized repeatedly while Charlie helped me up and they both thanked me for the presents. Charlie's ears went red as he apologized for not sending me anything and I waved it off. "Your friendships and happiness are more than enough in exchange for the few trinkets I can provide in comparison. What are a few thing that will age and expire with time compared to a true friendship that may last generations?"
He gave me a grateful smile and Nym nodded with a Chinese man's beard, stroking it like she thought it made her look wise. With the compartment door locked, I shifted into a few new people and gave them both laughs along the way.
Nym and I competed for the funniest transformation and while she won with Dumbledore in a dress, I got the most laughs from Charlie by turning into professor Snape with a beach bod and confessing my love for her Dumbledore.
All in all it would've been scandalous if anyone had seen it. When we arrived at school, I was back in my cold persona and doing more reading. Everywhere I went I was either sending letters to my father or Nagnok with Fiona or reading my books and listening to Nym and Charlie talk about various subjects.
They'd learned that while I might not show it, I was paying attention to every word and would comment or give advice every now and then. When it came to their studies I helped them both cram for each final by making them work harder than ever before.
Nym had learned to hate me as she wasn't a morning person but would be very grateful when her grades came to her parents in the mail over the summer. As it was now though I'd finished half the library's books with the source book and damned if it didn't give me tons of ideas for later.
My first big change came with replacing the vanishing cabinet on first floor by Filch's office. The real problem was avoiding Peeves and Mrs.Norris, Filch's cat. While both were annoying, the Damn cat was some kind of nosey mother in her past life. She could practically smell trouble and ratted everyone out on it.
Even for a part Kneazle that was impressive to say the least. For Peeves, I gave him a load of dung bombs and instructed him to toss them in the water closets when people entered and the suits of armor so it'd be harder to get out and people would smell it for days.
He left cackling calling me a kindred spirit while he sang off tune about itsy bitsy kiddies be pellet and welted with dungy. When I heard screams coming from the second floor and Filch ran past with a broom and his pet snitch trailing behind him, I headed to the corridor beside his office and did a quick switch.
I shrank the original vanishing cabinet and pocketed it while unshrinking a fake one that I'd made to look exactly the same. With both working cabinets my work was almost done. I headed to the seventh floor to a wall across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.
Peeves showed up blowing a raspberry and giggling while asking. "What's next my curiously devious newestes friends?"
I chuckled. "Follow me and find out."
I did a quick three pace and thought hard on hiding something where no one could find it. When the door grew out of the wall, I opened it and walked in with Peeves trailing behind me.
I told him seriously. "There's a giant nest of doxies in the back. Find it and piss them off before leading them my way. Do this and we'll have so much fun come next year."
I already had a cave in a forested area cleared for the doxies to live in my inner world. Peeves cackled and saluted me before scampering off to stir up trouble. I took the second vanishing cabinet out and placed it discreetly by the back wall.
I then placed a powerful notice me not charm on it while focusing it on the intent to use it so that only those who intended to use it could find it. A trick I learned from the mirror of erised from the books and movies in my past life. When you steal ideas, do it from the best.
With it in place, I waited for the horde of doxies to come and boy did they, thousands of them in a swarm so thick I couldn't see through it. Peeves came cackling mad while laughing his ass off while they gave chase. When they were in range, I cast my own modified patronus I'd added a stupefy spell into to work on large numbers at a time.
Damned if it didn't work as well when it let off a shockwave of stunning spells on the swarm, dropping them all into a dazed state. I put them all away in my inner realm except for a couple hundred that I stored in a modified and shrunken cage much like the trunks we used.
It would be small enough to let one out at a time but big enough to contain them all on the inside. I passed it to Peeves saying. "Your reward my good sir, I believe you know what to do with these?"
He cackled loudly as he took the cage and saluted me. I smiled. "From now on Peeves, this shall be the base of our operations. We shall turn this school upside down and use all these banned and broken toys in unique ways to cause real chaos!"
He cackled and I made a pact with him to never rat out or betray the other so long as it involved our pranks. He left a little while later to begin the chaos as he had little time. I on the other hand went deeper into the room to find two things. The doxie nest and the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw.
The first I wanted for more chaos and my own purposes while the second I wanted to know where it was for later issues. I found the Diadem without issue and with a point me charm, the doxie nest was found not far away.
The problem came when I realized the extent of the horde. As it turns out the ten thousand doxies they'd sent out were just the scouting party. The doxie queen of the nest was both a smart and cunning one. When I approached the nest she sent waves of doxies out to defend it and try to overwhelm my magic with constant use.
I'd been forced to summon another stupefying patronus before the other ran out and keep changing from wandless to wand casting patronus's. By the end I'd quite nearly run out of magic and was leaning against the stack when the queen herself came out cursing at me as I'd sent her army of nearly a million doxies into my inner realm where the others were.
Unlike the rest who were bluish purple in color, she was a reddish pink and had the fiery temper to boot. She was squeaking at me in a rage when I used the last of my magic to stun her and send her to the cave in my inner realm.
I'd had to be careful as I'd almost sent her to see my cloaked friend. As it was though she landed with the rest of the stunned doxies who would revive in a few hours. I meditated for a bit while my magic recovered and when I opened my eyes I turned to see a lethifold sneaking up on me.
Apparently the room of requirement had been a place to store all kinds of things because this creature sure as hell wouldn't have been allowed in a school. I stood quickly and utilized my killing intent and bloodthirst before creating a connection between it's mind and mine.
It hadn't bothered with the students because of the vast food source it had here. When I took it's food source away it decided I'd make a meal instead before it would creep into the school to feed on the students. Now though it had found a kindred spirit and since it was male, a possible mate that I offered it along with an unending food source.
I sent it into my inner realm in the same cave as the first one while setting it's boundaries and sending more food to feed both of them so they didn't kill each other. Luckily they hibernated while they digested their food so a month at a time per two deer or boar wasn't much too much for me to dish out.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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